Grant Gilchrist will earn his first Scotland start of the Six Nations against Italy on Saturday after Richie Gray failed to recover from a hamstring strain.
The Toulouse second row, who has started every game of the championship alongside brother Jonny in the boiler room, was named in Vern Cotter’s starting lineup on Thursday.
But Scottish Rugby announced on Friday that the 27-year-old has failed to fully recover from a muscle problem picked up during last weekend’s 61-21 defeat to England at Twickenham.